Schedule and Readings

Disciplines Key: P=Philosophy; ID=Interdisciplinarity; H=History; G=Government Studies; E=Economics; S=Sociology; B=Biology; Bu=Business

Class

Unit

Topic and/or reading

In-class writing assignment

Disc

1

Introduction

No reading. Discussion of case from Muir, John. 1908. “The Hetch-Hetchy Valley.” Sierra Club Bulletin 6 (4): 211-222.

 

P

2

Introduction, part 2

Philosophy and conceptual analysis.

Watch “How to Journal (& Think) like a Philosopher” by Parker Settecase, from 6:54 to the end.

We will make our first entries in our philosophical journals today.

Philosophical Journal: Personal Reflection

P

3

Values and the environment

**Introduction to Analytical Outlines

Read Singer, Peter. 1974. “All animals are equal.” Philosophic Exchange 5 (1), 103-116.

 

P

4

Values and the environment

Singer, continued

Philosophical Journal: Analytical Outline

P

5

Values and the environment

Leopold, Aldo. 1989. “The Land Ethic.” In A Sand County almanac, and sketches here and there. Oxford University Press, USA.

Philosophical Journal: Conceptual analysis

P

6

Values and the environment

Sagoff, Mark. 1984. “Animal liberation and environmental ethics: Bad marriage, quick divorce.” Osgoode Hall Law Journal 22 (2): 297-307.

 

P

7

Values and the environment

Sagoff, continued; preparing for Unit Essay 1.

Philosophical Journal: Conceptual analysis

P

8

Values and the environment

UNIT ESSAY 1

UNIT ESSAY

 

9

Environmental Justice/ Urban Development

Guest Lecture. “Pigs, Poop, and Protest – Sewage and Garbage in the 19th and 20th Centuries.” Prof. Geoff Zylstra, History.

 

H

10

Environmental Justice/ Urban Development

Introduction to Interdisciplinary Environmental Philosophy

Metcalf, Thomas. 2018. “Philosophy and Its Contrast with Science.” 1000-Word Philosophy: An Introductory Anthology.

Philosophical Journal: Personal Reflection

ID

11

Environmental Justice/ Urban Development

Shrader-Frechette, Kristin. 2007. “Human Rights and Duties to Alleviate Environmental Injustice: The Domestic Case.” Journal of Human Rights 6 (1): 107-130.

 

P

12

Environmental Justice/ Urban Development

Schrader-Frechette, cont.

Philosophical Journal: Conceptual analysis

P

13

Environmental Justice/ Urban Development

Foreman, Christopher H. 1996. “A Winning Hand? The uncertain future of environmental justice.” The Brookings Review 14 (2): 22-25.

Philosophical Journal: Analytical Outline

G

14

Environmental Justice/ Urban Development

Guest Lecture. “Environmental and economic benefits of greening urban spaces.” Prof. Sean MacDonald, Economics.

 

E

15

Environmental Justice/ Urban Development

Gould, Kenneth A., and Tammy L. Lewis. 2018. “From Green Gentrification to Resilience Gentrification: An Example from Brooklyn.” City & Community 17 (1): 12-15.

Preparing for Unit Essay 2

Philosophical Journal: Conceptual analysis

S

16

Environmental Justice/ Urban Development

UNIT ESSAY 2

UNIT ESSAY

 

17

Conservation and biodiversity

Guest Lecture. “What are species and how can we delimit them?” Prof. Chris Blair, Biology.

 

B

18

Conservation and biodiversity

Guest Lecture. “Preserving endangered species and rewilding.” Prof. Olufemi Sodeinde, Biology.

 

B

19

Conservation and biodiversity

Sarkar, Sahotra, and Frank M. David. 2012. “Conservation biology: ethical foundations.” Nat. Educ. Knowledge 3 (10).

Philosophical Journal: Conceptual analysis

P

20

Conservation and biodiversity

Sarkar, Sahotra. 2019. “What should “biodiversity” be?” In From assessing to conserving biodiversity: Conceptual and practical challenges, edited by Jorge Marques da Silva Elena Casetta, Davide Vecchi, 375-399. Switzerland: Springer Open.

Philosophical Journal: Analytical Outline

P

21

Conservation and biodiversity

Sarkar, continued

Preparing for Unit Essay 3

 

P

22

Conservation and biodiversity

UNIT ESSAY 3

UNIT ESSAY

 

23

Consumption and Sustainability

Barry, Brian. 1997. “Sustainability and Intergenerational Justice.” Theoria: A Journal of Social and Political Theory (89): 43–64.

Philosophical Journal: Analytical Outline

P

24

Consumption and Sustainability

Barry, continued

 

P

25

Consumption and Sustainability

Beckerman, Wilfred. 1994. “‘Sustainable Development’: Is it a Useful Concept?Environmental Values 3 (3): 191-209.

Philosophical Journal: Conceptual analysis

P

26

Consumption and Sustainability

Guest Lecture. “What Does It Mean to Care in Agro-Food Systems?” Prof. Diana Mincyte, Sociology.

 

S

27

Consumption and Sustainability

Sagoff, Mark. 1997. “Do We Consume Too Much?Atlantic Monthly 279 (6): 80–96.

 

E

28

Consumption and Sustainability

Guest Lecture. “Sustainable Innovation in Fashion & Beauty.” Prof. Denise Sutton, Business.

 

Bu

29

Consumption and Sustainability

Sanderson, Eric W., Joseph Walston, and John G. Robinson. 2018. “From Bottleneck to Breakthrough: Urbanization and the Future of Biodiversity Conservation.” BioScience 68 (6): 412-426.

Preparing for Unit Essay 3

Philosophical Journal: Personal Reflection

CS

30

Consumption and Sustainability

UNIT ESSAY 4

UNIT ESSAY